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Shabbat Candle Experiences & Stories

Anecdotes and encounters with lighting Shabbat and holiday candles

I have not lit the candles for the Shabbat or for the Jewish holidays since my pacemaker operation nine months ago. I was afraid of dropping the match and causing a fire—or so I told myself. But I am going to light the Shabbat candles tonight.
A Missed Opportunity
Everything had changed. What was holy and productive one minute, was negative and destructive the next. It is not just about the action, it is about the timing . . .
From Generation to Generation
It all starts with the candles. The flames passed from generation to generation. Only now, looking back, can I appreciate the significance of a practice that connects us to the past, the present and the future . . .
A Candle of My Own
She wanted to show Yona the impact she had made on her life, to tell her how her encouragement, kind words and warmth were coming to fruition 32 years later...
You Complete The Circle
The Power of Lighting Shabbat Candles
"The very last time zone is at the furthest point on earth, which is the Aleutian Islands. And the Aleutian Islands is the very last place in the world every Friday to have the opportunity to light Shabbat candles! You and your mother have this opportunity-to usher in the light of Shabbat for the entire Aleutian Islands."
The Long Overdue Shabbos Candles
How the Mumbai Tragedy Motivated Me to Action
So why was I there? How did I fit into this picture, and what was I going to do to ensure that I was making my contribution to our community and our nation?
Thank G‑d It’s Friday
In the silent moments of my candle-lighting, I imagine many Jewish women around the globe also lighting their candles. I feel we are unified for one small moment in our week. We may not speak the same language, and we may live at opposite ends of the globe, but we, each of us, are connected by this seemingly small act that we do on Friday nights. Each small act performed together makes a pretty big whole . . .
Hanging by a Wick
I attended Catholic school, and I was instructed by my parents not to believe anything they taught me but to follow along. To say the least, I was a spiritually confused child...
Getting Even with the Shabbat Candles
Time was running out, but I thought I would give it another go. "Please, Sharon, you will feel better by adding some more light to your world..." Unfortunately, none of the arguments won her over...
Not to Miss A Friday Lighting
A woman living on Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn wrote to the Rebbe to ask for Shabbat candlesticks. The letter arrived on Friday. On Friday afternoon, he asked his secretary to see to it that this woman had the opportunity to light Shabbat candles that very Friday afternoon.
The Eternal Jew
A Letter Sent to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Pamela lit the Menorah for the first time that Hannukah, a little Menorah that Mrs. Shaffer brought us. And then she continued lighting her candle for the Sabbath every Friday. Without fail, ever . . .
Being Real
The Spark of Truth Inside the Shabbat Candles
On Shabbat morning I would sit beside my grandmother in synagogue, and the exhaustion of the week would melt as we prayed. But as soon as Shabbat ended I would go back to my struggle to create a picture perfect life instead of a real one...
Experiencing Shabbat
Six days a week I have an incredibly hectic schedule. There are so many things going on that six days of my week can pass and I won't even notice how much my children have grown. I won't have time to talk to my husband, not about my work or the grocery shopping, but about us, life, our dreams, our goals...
Shabbat Candles in Auschwitz
Every Friday she made two little candles from the margarine she saved and did not eat, and took some threads from the bottom of her dress and lit them . . .
Illuminating a Jewish Nursing Home
I felt physically enveloped in holiness as I watched each resident enter the room and step into a private place where soul meets Creator . . .
Welcome to our candle-lighting section, where you will find the details and practicalities of lighting Shabbat candles, along with the meaning, spirituality and power of doing so . . .
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